policy 5 September 2026 Daily Monitor (Uganda)
Uganda Establishes Research Task Forces to Inform Policy and Spending
Uganda has launched two new task forces, the Institutional Research Agenda (IRA) and Social Economic Research Agenda (SERA), to ensure research findings effectively guide government policymaking, budgeting, and service delivery. Source: https://www.monitor.co.ug/uganda/news/national/uganda-sets-up-research-task-forces-to-guide-policy-and-spending-5585414
The Ugandan government has initiated a significant step to integrate evidence-based decision-making into its operations by establishing two key research task forces. The Institutional Research Agenda (IRA) and Social Economic Research Agenda (SERA) were inaugurated to bridge the gap between research outcomes and practical government action.
These task forces are designed to generate crucial data and insights that will inform policy formulation, resource allocation, and the overall effectiveness of public service delivery. The SERA team will concentrate on socioeconomic research, aiming to align government programs with the needs of citizens and identify local priorities. Meanwhile, the IRA task force will focus on coordinating institutional research across various government bodies, identifying knowledge gaps, and developing a unified research agenda.
Public Service Minister, Gen. (Rtd) Katumba Wamala, emphasized that the Institutional Research Agenda will undergo a review every five years to ensure its continued relevance in addressing emerging policy challenges and national priorities. This framework is intended to support Uganda’s Fourth National Development Plan (NDP IV) and its ambitious economic growth strategy.
The government anticipates that this focus on socioeconomic research will bolster planning, budgeting, program implementation, and performance management in the medium term. In the long run, it is expected to contribute to industrialization, job creation, human capital development, and enhanced public sector productivity.
This initiative is part of a broader government effort to strengthen the use of research and evidence in policy and development planning. The Ministry of Public Service stated that the development of a National Research Framework and Agenda will aid in determining research funding needs and integrating research into institutional development plans, potentially increasing research funding from the current estimated 0.4%-0.5% of GDP towards the committed 1% of GDP.